PESHAWAR: At least ten suspected militants were killed and 12 others injured as Pakistani jet fighters targeted nine militants hideouts in Khyber tribal region and Darra Adam Khel.

Official sources say that the jet fighters struck the militants hideous in Akakhel area of Bara Tehsil in Khyber tribal region destroying at least three of their secret bases while five alleged militants were killed and six others injured.

Separately in other strikes carried out by the military jets in Kharmatong, Mansoor Sangar, Zawao Adda and Khawngai area of Dara Adam Khel region, six militants hideouts were destroyed.

The death toll could not be independently verified as access of media is restricted in the region.

Pakistani military officials believe mountains linking the Orakzai, Khyber and Kurram tribal areas are one of the main strongholds for the Taliban-linked militants in Pakistan.

Another senior military official in the northwestern frontier city of Peshawar confirmed that air strikes had taken place “somewhere between Orakzai and Khyber”.

Many Taliban and their al Qaeda allies fled Afghanistan to Pakistan's tribal areas after the US invasion in 2001.

They retreated even deeper into the mountains following a Pakistan army offensive in 2009, launching attacks from places where ground forces cannot reach them.

In another unrelated incident a FC vehicle met with an accident in Charsadda area of Khyber Pahktunkhwa killing one FC person and injuring 24 others.

The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital.